Fuchs Tripledrive Supreme 150

Powered by four 6550s and delivering a punishing 150 watts (50 and 100 watt versions are also available), the Tripledrive Supreme head ($4,195 retail/ street N/A) is a U.S.-made, Dumble-inspired boutique monster that sports hybrid point-to-point/PC board circuitry inside an aluminum chassis. At the core of this beast are three footswitchable channels (a hulking footswitch is included), as well as an effects loop (with Send and Return level controls and a Series/Parallel switch), and spring reverb courtesy of an Accutronics six-spring tank.

The Tripledrive’s Clean channel offers High, Mid, and Low EQ as well as Brite, Deep, and Jazz/Rock switches. The latter revoices the EQ with Rock yielding more aggressive sounding curve and Jazz providing a tad smoother voicing in the highs and upper-mids. Running the Clean channel with a Les Paul, the tones were rife with a three-dimensional sheen as the upper mid and treble response was simply stunning in its ability to wrangle bell-like tones from a front-position humbucker—all without the Brite switch engaged. As if the lush, pristine clean tones weren’t enough, the Tripledrive can deliver them at punishing volume levels. And the best thing is, the tones stay taught, wonderfully musical, and clean as a whistle. The Clean channel also sports Mid Boost and Gain pull functions on the High and Mid controls respectively (and confusingly), which can also be activated via footswitch. These functions work extremely well and give tweakers some serious ownage over the Tripledrive’s clean tones—which are without a doubt, some of the most pristine and pure I’ve ever heard. And as if that’s not enough, the Tripledrive’s reverb is gloriously lush.

The Crunch and Lead channels share High, Mid, and Low EQ controls (as well as the footswitchable Mid Boost and Gain pull functions à la the Clean channel), and independent Gain and Volume controls. You’re also afforded the same lineup of Brite, Deep, and Jazz/Rock switches. Sonically, the Crunch channel delivers enough gain to be considered a lead channel. With the Gain set halfway, the tones purr with enough harmonic content to choke a horse, as well as an unbelievable dynamic range. Lighten your picking attack or lower your guitar’s volume, and the Tripledrive will reward you handsomely with clean tones that are loaded with tasty morsels of overdrive lurking in the nooks and crannies. From Sticky Fingers-era Keef, to high gain scorch, the Crunch channel can deliver perfectly manicured grind that is a wonder to behold.

Moving over to the Lead channel, more gain is heaped on, but the Tripledrive remains whisper quiet. Pretty impressive! Thankfully, the Tripledrive is so expertly voiced, the shared EQ between the Crunch and Lead channels never becomes a problem. With a Les Paul or a Telecaster, notes sustained for days—even at bedroom volumes, and the amp’s singing, dense midrange frequencies allowed me to easily conjure everything from a polite, horn-like Robben Ford chirp, to a brusque, old-school howl. Like the Crunch channel, the Lead side is ridiculously dynamic, cleaning up amazingly well even when you lower your guitar volume—even with the gain maxed.

As evidenced by its price, the Fuch’s Tripledrive is squarely in the boutique camp. But its world-class construction, extensive tone-tweazing appointments, and three channels of blissfully refined tones make it a world class, state-of-the-art tone specimen.

Kudos A panorama of tonal godliness, from clean to mean and everything in-between.